Picatinny ammo unit earns award

By Bruce A. Scruton New Jersey HeraldPosted: Dec. 23, 2016 12:01 https://www.njherald.com/20161223/picatinny-ammo-unit-earns-award#

The unit that buys ammunition for some of the countries supported by the U.S. in the Middle East, a unit based at Picatinny Arsenal, was honored with the 2016 David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award.

Some of the U.S.-supported countries continue to use weapons that were developed and made in former Soviet countries and, as such, don't use the same size and type of ammunition used by NATO countries, said Frank Altamura, who is with the Program Executive Office for Ammunition, the unit that was honored.

The armed forces of countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan get much of their ammunition from the U.S. but need what's known as "non-standard ammunition" for their Soviet-era small arms. None of the regular U.S. suppliers are equipped to make that size ammunition, and sources are limited to eastern European countries, such as Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania, which were once part of the Soviet Union.

Altamura said the office for ammunition, based at the arsenal, works with two prime contractors for its supplies, but those contractors must get the non-standard ammunition from the eastern European manufacturers.

In normal times, the suppliers can make and ship sufficient ammunition, usually a two-three year process from order to receipt. However, there have been times when the need for ammo is much more urgent, such as in 2012.

The Picatinny unit was able to negotiate contracts that allowed, at certain times, for the United States to pay more than the contracted price when demand was higher.

The higher price allowed the manufacturer to meet that demand, he said.

"Since 2008, we have supplied over a billion rounds of ammunition," Altamura said. "Some of those years there were up to a couple hundred million (rounds) per year needed."

The higher price also allowed the prime contractors to seek out former suppliers.

"Each of those suppliers is appropriately vetted for quality," he said.

The ammunition ranges from rounds for the Soviet-made AK-47 up to larger guns used by the Allies' helicopters in air-to-ground fighting.

Altamura said the Program Executive Office for Ammunition at Picatinny has now received the Packard award five times. This is the third time for the unit known as Project Manager Maneuver Ammunition.

The award, which was established in 1997, recognizes organizations, groups and teams that have demonstrated exemplary innovation in acquiring and delivering products and capabilities to the U.S. armed forces.